This application claims the priority of German application 198 44 524.5-16, filed Sep. 29, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having a longitudinally displaceable seat framework with a cushion support which receives a seat cushion. The seat has rear and front connections, designed in pairs, between the cushion support and seat framework for securing the cushion support on the seat framework.
In one known vehicle seat of this type (DE 41 40 798 A1), the front connection between the cushion support and seat framework is designed as a clip connection, which comprises a tube section, which is connected to the front crossmember of the seat framework, and a clamp-like clip element, which is integrally formed on the underside of the cushion support, formed as a seat shell, and which grips around more than half the circumference of the tube section. The rear connection between the cushion support and the seat framework has a spring element which is fastened, on the one hand, on a vertical connecting roll, formed integrally on the seat shell, and, on the other hand, on a connecting side plate which projects vertically upwards and is integrally formed on the top rail of the seat framework. The spring element comprises a rubber body with two plates vulcanized thereon. In this case, one plate is fitted, by way of a slot which is open at the bottom, into a headed bolt retained in the connecting wall, and the other plate is positioned, by way of a groove which is open at the bottom, on the top border of the connecting side plate. For securing purposes, a protrusion which is supported by the plate, beneath the groove, engages in a through-passage of the connecting side plate and thus prevents later displacement of the plate and connecting side plate relative to one another in the vertical direction. In such a vehicle seat, the front connection between the seat framework and cushion support is not sufficiently stable with respect to unintentional release. As a result, in the event of a crash, rupturing of the connection cannot be reliably ruled out.
In a known vehicle seat which is fastened on the vehicle floor such that it can be swung up about a front, transversely running pivot axis (DE 195 24 174 C1), a U-shaped, equal-sided spring clasp, with spring prestressing which moves the two spring legs towards one another, is secured on the cushion support, which is designed as a cushion shell, for the purpose of producing quickly relatable locking of the seat on the vehicle floor, which is stable even in the event of a crash. The two spring legs grip behind diametrically opposite sides of a mushroom head shaped projection which is fastened on the vehicle floor.
The object of this invention, in a vehicle seat of the type mentioned above, is to provide, between the seat framework and cushion support, a connection which is cost-effective to produce, requires just a short amount of time to fit and has sufficient stability with respect to release even in extreme situations.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a rear connection which has a horizontal bolt, which projects transversely on the seat framework, and a U-shaped longitudinal guide, which is fastened on a cushion support and grips over the guide bolt, from the end side of the latter, by way of its U-legs. The front connection includes a hairpin-like spring, which is secured on the cushion support, and two latching jaws, which are spaced apart transversely from one another on the seat framework. Each of the jaws has one of two mutually facing grooves for form-fitting insertion of a spring leg of the spring which spreads in the direction of the latching jaws.
The vehicle seat according to the invention has the advantage of providing an extremely straightforward and time-saving operation for fitting the padded cushion support on the seat framework. This operation also lends itself very well to being carried out on an assembly line. The cushion support, with full padding, is pushed onto the two guide jaws on the seat framework by way of its two longitudinal guides and is then pressed down in order to be clipped into the latching jaws of the seat framework, the two springs latching automatically into the latching jaws. Clipping by way of a form-fit and force-fit in each case provides, on the one hand, a reliable connection which does not release if the cushion support is subjected to the action of force and also suppresses any play in the connection between the cushion support and seat framework. As a result, rattling noises cannot occur. The two hairpin-like springs are cost-effective to produce, and their mounts on the cushion support are integrally formed during the production of the cushion support, which means that there are no additional production costs, in particular if the cushion support is injection moulded from plastic in the form of a cushion shell.
Advantageous embodiments of the vehicle seat according to the invention with expedient configurations and developments of the invention will be apparent from the rest of the patent claims.